P#13 Q4C: How Important Is a Polarizer Filter?

The Polarizing Filter Is Key

Jennifer Wu: A polarizer filter is absolutely very important when taking landscape photographs. When you take a landscape photograph and you don't use a polarizer filter, you can't go and fix that shot later on in Photoshop.

For example, say you've taken a shot of a lake and there's a glare on the water - without the polarizer you can't go and correct that later on. You've got this white sky reflecting off the water, it just glares out at the image and looks bad.

To reduce that glare, I use a polarizer. I always use a polarizer. A lot of the time I'm not shooting in ideal conditions. A polarizer filter can help overcome that obstacle.

I also use a polarizer filter for foliage. Foliage has kind of a waxy surface -- the leaves are green but they have a waxy surface to them. The light actually reflects off of it. If you use a polarizer filter for foliage, plants, and flowers, it takes the waxy surface out and it makes the colors richer and more vibrant.

I love the polarizer and I use it often.

Audri Lanford: Do you use a circular polarizer?

Jennifer Wu: Oh yes, a circular polarizer is needed for digital photography -- much better than the linear. Use one that attaches to the front so that it spins. With the wide angle lens, I use what's called the slim polarizer because the slim doesn't cause darkening of the corners. You don't want to get dark corners in the edges of the frame.

In Summary

While your camera, lens and tripod are very important pieces of photography equipment, they're not the only thing you need when you go out to shoot landscape photographs. According to Jennifer Wu, a polarizer filter is just as important.